Whistler Village Beer Festival Activities

September 1, 2017

The 2017 Whistler Village Beer Festival is happening from September 13-17 in beautiful Whistler, B.C. This fantastic festival of craft beer features two days of tasting events in Whistler Olympic Plaza plus a range of Whistler Village Beer Festival activities including cask nights, axe throwing, foodie nights, and more. There are over 120 beers and ciders on tap during the festival from 60 breweries.

If you are planning on heading to the festival for the good times and the huge variety of craft brews, you should also check out some of the other activities, both beer and non-beer related. Work up a thirst with some hiking and mountain biking then get warmed up for the Main Event at one of the cask showdowns. Stay awhile, and celebrate beer in the mountains.

Best Non-Drinking Whistler Village Beer Festival Activities Outside the Fest

Peak to Peak Gondola

The Guinness World Record breaking PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola runs from the alpine areas of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. This 4.4 kilometre ride takes you 436m/1,427ft above the valley floor, making it the highest in the world! 50 kilometres of hiking and walking trails await as well as incredible alpine views, custom guided tours, and viewpoints in every direction. We recommend a great half day hike to Blackcomb Lake on the Lakeside Loop Hiking Trail; the vistas won’t disappoint! Rest your legs and hoist a cold one at the Roundhouse afterwards.

Mountain Biking

The Whistler Mountain Bike Park is considered the number one lift accessed downhill bike park in the world. It contains more terrain than any other bike park in North America with 4,900 vertical feet of lift-serviced descending trails. The Bike Park features four distinct zones with over 80 km of trail for you to explore. If cruising is more your speed, explore the Valley Tail System, with miles of smooth, paved trails that run around Whistler by multiple lakes with beautiful vistas. Bicycle and E-bike rentals can be found at shops throughout the village. After a hard day of shredding the park or cruising the Valley Trail, kick it on the Longhorn patio with one of their famous Bulldogs or a Gibbons Après Lager! Not sure what you’ll need to hit up the trails? Check out our essential mountain biking gear list.

Sweat it out. Enjoy the epic views and awesome trails of the Whistler Mountain Bike Park – before you get in on the WVBF action!

Golfing

Beer enthusiasts who enjoy a couple hits on the green are in luck because Whistler is Canada’s premium golfing destination, too. Offering three beautiful courses for golfers; the Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Club, Nicklaus North Golf Course, and the Whistler Golf Club, a short drive north of to Pemberton will also take you to two more great courses; the Big Sky Golf Club, and The Meadows at Pemberton Golf Course. All of the courses offer world class golfing in some of the most stunning surroundings on the planet. Even better still, Nicklaus North is one of the best locations for brunch in Whistler – brunch, golf, beer. Sounds like a winning combination of Whistler Village Beer Festival activities to us!

Get out and enjoy one of Whistler’s many spectacular Golf Courses.

Audain Art Museum

The Audain Art Museum is a 55,230-square-foot museum with one of the most unique collections of British Columbia art. Located in Whistler Village, the museum has one of the world’s finest collections of original First Nations masks and an exceptional collection of Emily Carr paintings. It also features works by some great Canadian artists including Jack Shadbolt, E.J. Hughes and Gordon Smith. A great cultural (and indoor) activity in case the weather changes.

Scandinave Spa

Scandinave Spa is the perfect destination to relax in quiet, natural surroundings. Rejuvenate after a tough day of tastings at this sprawling outdoor spa just minutes from Whistler Village. Enveloped by peaceful forest on the edge of Lost Lake Park, this Nordic-inspired spa offers hot baths, a wood burning Finnish Sauna, a eucalyptus steam room, refreshing waterfalls and cold plunges. Festival-goers with All Access tickets will receive a voucher for 25% off the Scandinave Baths Experience.

Soak in the views at Scandinave Spa

Best Whistler Village Beer Festival Activities that Involve Some Drinking

Axes and Ales

For the first time, Whistler Village Beer Festival is partnering with Forged Axe Throwing! Don your best plaid and start by hurling axes at targets at their venue in Function Junction followed by beers at Coast Mountain Brewing and food and more beers at Whistler Brewing Co. It doesn’t get more Canadian than this! Mark your calendars for 2-6pm on September 13th to get in on the axe action.

Foodie Events

Nothing pairs better with good beer than good food. A range of restaurants have teamed up with Whistler Village Beer Festival to bring you beer-themed meals for brunch and dinner. Alta Bistro and Whistler Brewing Co. have teamed up to bring you a beer pairing dinner on Thursday, September 14, or if you’re looking for a dinner option after the Main Event on Saturday September 16, grab tickets to Barley and the Beast at the Grill & Vine. Need to fill up before the weekend of tastings? Brunch tickets are available for Brickworks on Saturday and Stonesedge on Sunday. For those on the shuttle from Squamish on Sunday you can hit up a pre-game brunch at Norman Rudy’s for 50% off.

Brewery Tours

Join one of the fully guided tours of Whistler Brewing Company in Function Junction, and enjoy a tasting of award-winning ales and lagers in the Tap House. Over the road at Coast Mountain Brewing you can catch owners Kevin and Angie behind the bar they’ll happily show you around their family-owned brewery! Learn the art as you taste your way through a flight.

Tour the local breweries and see how the process works.

Cask Nights and Tap Takeovers

Just in case you’re worried about not getting to try enough beer, there’s a few special events taking place at venues throughout Whistler Village. Thursday night (September 14) sees Brewer’s Row Tap Takeover at the Firerock Lounge and Cask Que C’est at the Brewhouse. Handlebar will have special taps from Vancouver Island on both Saturday and Sunday nights after the main events. Love sours? The Master Crafters Battle of the Sours takes place at The Plaza at the Westin Resort & Spa Whistler on the eve of the Main Event on Friday (September 15) and has proven to be a favourite event for festival breweries.

Nightlife

If you want to carry on your Whistler Village Beer Festival activities into the night, then the village is full of opportunities for a great time when the sun goes down. There is a wide range of restaurants, bars, and clubs which offer everything from chill relaxed lounges, to full-on dance parties. Bar Hop Whistler offers a guided tour that takes you to four iconic Whistler venues, along with five drinks of your choice, food, and good times.

Keep the good times rolling. Extend the party by hitting up the Bar Hop Whistler.

Let Us Plan Your Ultimate WVBF Itinerary

With five days of craft beer events, a wealth of outdoor activities, fantastic food, and some of the best nightlife around all in the most beautiful place on earth, how can you go wrong? Extend your summer and head up to the Whistler Village Beer Festival to enjoy all that this fabulous event has to offer!

If you’ve read the post and are now feeling a little overwhelmed with choice (don’t worry, we still get that way too) why not leave the planning to an expert? Our Whistler concierge service can book all the details of your ultimate WVBF holiday, from accommodation and transport, to any Whistler Village Beer Festival activities you want to take part in.

Vince Shuley

Vince Shuley is a freelance writer and photojournalist based in Whistler. An unabashed beer, ski and bike nerd, his adventures thankfully form the basis of much of his work.

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